Baltimore police commissioner gets permanent post

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A city council vote Monday confirmed that interim Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Kevin Davis will finish out his predecessor's contract.

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Interim police commissioner is approved for permanent job

Kevin Davis joined the force in 2014

(CNN)The Baltimore City Council cemented the interim appointment of Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who got the job after the mayor fired Anthony Batts amid an upsurge in violent crime following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.

The vote happened Monday evening, according to Lester Davis, deputy chief of staff for the city council president.

Photos:Baltimore protests

Photos:Baltimore protests

People hold hands during a rally at Baltimore City Hall on Sunday, May 3. The death of Freddie Gray, who died in police custody, sparked rioting in Baltimore and protests across the country.

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Photos:Baltimore protests

Members of the National Guard board a truck at an armory staging area on May 3 in Baltimore. After a night of relatively peaceful protests, the city lifted a curfew, the National Guard is preparing its exit and a mall that had been a flashpoint in the protests has been reopened.

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Photos:Baltimore protests

Medics take a man away after police pepper-sprayed him on Saturday, May 2, in Baltimore's Sandtown neighborhood where Freddie Gray was arrested in April.

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Police detain a man on May 2 in Baltimore's Sandtown neighborhood.

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Photos:Baltimore protests

Protesters hold signs on May 2 in the Sandtown neighborhood.

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Photos:Baltimore protests

Protesters march from the Gilmor Homes housing community, where Freddie Gray was arrested, to City Hall on Saturday, May 2, in Baltimore.

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Photos:Baltimore protests

Police in riot gear enforce a 10 p.m. curfew and clear Baltimore streets of protesters and media on Friday, May 1.

Demonstrators celebrate the announcement that six officers were charged May 1 in Gray's death.

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Demonstrators march through the streets of Baltimore after the charges against the officers were announced May 1.

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Police on horseback block a Baltimore street on May 1.

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A demonstrator celebrates in Baltimore the charges were announced on May 1.

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A member of the National Guard stands outside Baltimore City Hall as protesters gather on Wednesday, April 29.

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High school and college students march from Baltimore's Penn Station to City Hall on April 29.

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Photos:Baltimore protests

A community organizer later identified as Joseph Kent paces in front of riot police with his hands up during a curfew in Baltimore on Tuesday, April 28. Moments later, he was seen being arrested by police live on CNN. Kent's lawyer said on April 30 that his client had been released from jail. While some protesters defied the curfew and faced off with police, demonstrations Tuesday were largely peaceful.

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Photos:Baltimore protests

State Sen. Catherine E. Pugh embraces a protester while urging the crowd to disperse ahead of the 10 p.m. curfew.

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People attempt to stop protesters from approaching a police line on April 28.

A woman abandons her car in the middle of an intersection as Baltimore Police officers clash with protesters outside the Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore on April 27.

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Police handle the protesters during a riot on April 27.

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A demonstrator taunts police on April 27.

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Protesters stand off with police during a march in honor of Gray in Baltimore on Saturday, April 25.

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A protester throws a barricade at a bar near Oriole Park at Camden Yards after a rally on April 25.

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Protesters chase after a car as it drives in reverse after the rally on April 25.

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A protester breaks a store window after the rally in Baltimore on April 25.

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Protesters get into a shoving match with police during a march downtown on April 25.

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Protesters and police square off April 25.

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Protesters drive through the Camden Yards area on April 25.

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Members of the Baltimore Police Department stand guard Thursday, April 23, outside the department's Western District station during a protest.

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A police officer films protesters from the steps of the Western District station on April 23.

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Empowerment Temple Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant speaks in front of City Hall in Baltimore on April 23.

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Demonstrators put their fists in the air during a protest outside the Baltimore police's Western District station on Wednesday, April 22.

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Hundreds of demonstrators march toward the Western District station on April 22.

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People march through the streets of Baltimore on April 22.

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Demonstrators argue with Baltimore officers during the protest on April 22.

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A woman is comforted during the protest on April 22.

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A council committee last week endorsed Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's request to allow Davis to serve out the remainder of Batts' contract, which expires in 2020.

In September, Rawlings-Blake called Davis "a cop's cop" and said he "understands that you have to push for reform in a way that is respectful of the officer, but also the position," according to CNN affiliate WBAL in Baltimore.

The former chief of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, police department, Davis joined the department in 2014 as deputy commissioner.

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At the time, the city's police union said in a report that unrest following Gray's death was preventable and fueled by the "passive stance" adopted by Batts and top commanders.

Blake fired Batts in July following such criticism of his leadership during the protests and a subsequent uptick in violent crime.

Photos:Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case

Photos:Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case

Six Baltimore police officers were charged in the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray, who died of a severe spinal-cord injury while in police custody. But there were no convictions in the case. Three of the officers were acquitted before prosecutors dropped the charges against the remaining three in July 2016. Seen here is Lt. Brian Rice, who was part of the bike patrol that arrested Gray. On July 18, 2016, Rice was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office in connection with Gray's arrest and death.

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Photos:Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case

Officer Caesar Goodson drove the van in which Gray was fatally injured. On June 23, Goodson was found not guilty on all charges, including the most serious count of second-degree depraved-heart murder.

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Photos:Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case

William Porter was the first of the six officers to face a trial. It ended in a mistrial in December, and he had been scheduled to be retried before prosecutors dropped the charges against him. Porter was summoned by the van's driver to check on Gray during stops on the way to a police station. Prosecutors said Porter should have called a medic for Gray sooner than one was eventually called, and they said he also should have ensured that Gray was wearing a seat belt. Porter had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.

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Photos:Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case

Edward Nero, one of three bike officers involved in the initial police encounter with Gray, was found not guilty of all charges in May. He was accused of second-degree intentional assault, two counts of misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

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Photos:Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case

Garrett Miller was another one of the bike officers involved in Gray's arrest. He placed Gray in a restraining technique known as a "leg lace" before Gray was placed in the van, said Marilyn Mosby, the state's attorney for Baltimore. All charges were dropped against Miller, who had been indicted on charges of second-degree intentional assault, two counts of misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

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Photos:Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case

Sgt. Alicia White was present during one of the stops to check on Gray's condition. She and two other officers saw Gray unresponsive on the floor of the van, and when White spoke to Gray and he did not respond, she allegedly did nothing to help him, prosecutors said. All charges were dropped against White, who had been indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree negligent assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

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Gray died from injuries suffered while in police custody. An autopsy found he suffered a severe spinal cord injury after he was not properly belted into a seat in the back of the van.

Six police officers were ultimately charged in Gray's death after investigators concluded they had contributed to his death, including the driver of a police van transporting Gray to jail.

Following Gray's death, the city experienced several days of protests, including a spasm of looting, arson and violence the night after Gray's funeral.